


I want to take care of you

by onhos



Category: SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkwardness, Christmas, Crushes, Dorms, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sickfic, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:42:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22845022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onhos/pseuds/onhos
Summary: Jinki is worried about Jonghyun.
Relationships: Kim Jonghyun/Lee Jinki | Onew
Comments: 14
Kudos: 35
Collections: Winter of SHINee





	I want to take care of you

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! this is my second fic for the winter of shinee event :) at first i wasn't sure how to proceed with this prompt, it was difficult to write and i changed my ideas a lot, but i finally finished it and i'm pretty happy with how it turned out <3
> 
> to the person i sent the prompt, it was a cute prompt and i hope you like this a lot~
> 
> and i'm happy to have participated in this challenge, i've never took part in a writing event before so it was really fun even though it was nerve wracking!! i can't wait to read everyone's fics <3 happy reading!!!!

"I have to go." Jinki blurts, suddenly.

The bar is bustling with people by now, the Christmas spirit still heavy in the air, though Christmas day ended a few hours ago. Minho, with his arms slung around Kibum and Taemin's shoulders, looks up from his seat to watch Jinki pull on his coat and hat. While they're distracted, Taemin eyes their drinks shyly. 

"You're leaving already?" Kibum asks, his face pink with laughter and alcohol, his eyes shining. 

"There's chicken and alcohol hyung," Minho laughs, or more accurately giggles, a common occurrence when he's drank a little too much. "You're usually the last one to leave."

Minho hiccups and Jinki hides his reddening face beneath his scarf.

" _ I  _ know why hyung's going back," Kibum says, raising an eyebrow, "He's  _ worried. _ "

"'M not." Jinki grumbles, a slight smile twitching behind his scarf. "Just gonna sleep."

"On Christmas Day!" Minho cries, and Kibum bursts into giggles.

"It's technically not Christmas anymore." Taemin smiles.

The problem is, since their Christmas stage ended and they went to celebrate at the bar, Jinki hasn't stopped worrying. He could only half enjoy himself, his laughter duller than usual. There was something missing...

"You," Kibum had drawls, leaning over the table, his mouth stained with wine, "You like Jonghyun hyung too much." 

Jinki thinks he's probably right.

"Don't worry too much, hyung," Minho waves a hand, "He's probably writing, or something, you know him."

But Jinki can't help but worry. 

♡

The cold bites at Jinki’s cheeks. It’s a chilling, stinging pain, spreading from the exposed skin on his face to the soles of his feet where the snow has slipped through the holes in his boots. Though he’s bundled up in his coat, hat, gloves and scarf, Jinki shivers in the frost. 

Jinki’s vision is hazy, not just because of the snowflakes but because of the alcohol he’d drank. He left the bar half an hour ago and is still walking, the warm buzz of alcohol constant in his stomach, making the walk back to the dorm less inconvenient than it would usually be. 

He’d left Kibum, Taemin and Minho laughing at a table, basking in the spirit of Christmas as they drank. The early hours of morning are still dark, the sky black and no sunrise in sight.

Jinki manages to spots the dorm when he turns a corner, only because the bright lights in the window shine through never ending snow. 

“The lights are on,” He murmurs to himself, his voice muffled by his scarf. 

The snow crunches as he makes his way to the door. Jinki opens the door and shakes the snow from his hat once inside.

“Honey, I’m home.” He calls happily, into the silent flat. With a grin he takes off his boots before they can trail snow through the dorm.

There's no answer until Jinki finds his way to the living room. He pauses for a moment. Jonghyun is sitting cross legged on the sofa, a notebook open in his lap and an empty mug by his feet, coffee still staining the edges. Jonghyun looks up at Jinki over his glasses. His eyes are pretty, sparkling like the snowflakes on the window, but they're rimmed red with exhaustion.

"You're back already?" Jonghyun asks, wearily, already looking back at his notebook. He blinks a few time as if fighting back sleep.

Jinki is suddenly flushed, which he blames on the remnants of the cold evening. 

"You're still up?" Jinki asks, sheepishly.

"Yeah." Jonghyun smiles slightly. "Have fun?"

"Oh, you have no idea." Jinki remembers Kibum's sharp eyes softening with laughter, Minho's smile wide, Taemin's words fast and happy, "Coffee?"

"Please." Jonghyun says with a grateful sigh.

With an embarrassed grin, Jinki picks up the mug by Jonghyun's feet and takes it into the kitchen, planning to make him another coffee. When Jonghyun gets into these moods at night, he doesn't sleep for a long time - it's easier to leave him be to do his own thing, and so Jinki turns on the kettle.

The snow is falling so heavily that the windows are completely white, now. Jinki peers out of the kitchen window curiously, unable to see anything through the snowflakes. He wonders how the other members will make it back, and hopes they stay safe. He pours out the hot water and watches it steam into the mug, planning to text Minho.

Jonghyun's mug is warm between his palms and Jinki carries it carefully back into the living room. When he arrives, though, Jonghyun's eyes are closed. His head lolls a little while he sleeps, the open notebook still in his lap and his mouth a little open. Jinki smiles gently. Jonghyun never usually falls asleep that quickly.

"Silly Jonghyunnie." He murmurs, placing the mug by Jonghyun's feet and sitting beside him on the sofa.

For a moment he just looks at his friend, who's sleeping soundly beside him. Jonghyun's eyelashes flutter against his skin. His skin is a little flushed, his hair covering his forehead and settling into gentle curls. Stray hairs keep tickling Jonghyun's eyes, and Jinki's heart twists. 

He reaches out his hand slowly, planning to brush the hair away from Jonghyun's face. His fingers tremble a little, his heart pounding in his ears.

The sound of Jinki's phone ringing is loud in the quiet living room.

Jinki jumps, reaching for his phone quickly.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Kibum yells down the phone, though his voice is faded and far away, covered by static.

"What is it?" Jinki coughs, embarrassed.

"Give me the phone." Minho grumbles. "We're kind of snowed in, hyung."

"Huh?" Jinki blinks. "You're what?"

"We're stuck!" Kibum cries, dramatically, and there's a distant thump as if Minho has shoved him.

"The snow has blocked the doors." Minho says, "It's probably the same at the dorm. They say we can stay here until it clears, though."

"Ah, let me check." Jinki rushes to the front door to find it is, indeed, stuck. He pushes, trying to make the pile of snow budge, but it's no use. "Shit."

"Yeah." Minho agrees. "You'll be okay with Jonghyun hyung, right?"

"Don't worry about us." Jinki sighs. 

"You okay, Jinki hyung?" Taemin asks, meekly.

"Fine, Taeminnie." Jinki smiles. "Listen, you're breaking up, just stay calm. And drink water, please."

"Aye aye, captain." Kibum says, and the line goes dead.

Jinki runs a weary hand over his face, suddenly feeling sober. Snowed in the day after Christmas... he thinks of Jonghyun sleeping on the sofa, and feels strangely flustered at the thought of the two of them sharing the dorm together for however long it takes the snow to melt. 

"Stupid." Jinki mumbles to himself. 

He goes back to the living room and starts drinking Jonghyun's coffee. He feels warmer, now, sitting next to his friend and letting a hot drink soothe him. Though Jinki feels a stiff and awkward, especially with Jonghyun close to him, he also feels a little happy to have the chance to spend time with someone who he admires so much.

Jinki likes just drinking coffee and just taking time to think. He doesn't really get time to just  _ think  _ in his daily life, too busy all of the time performing, practicing, and making appearances. He's the type of person who likes slow, relaxing days - a long rest at the beach, a morning that he can sleep through, a filling meal that takes an hour to eat, those are his favourite things. 

It's peaceful, until Jonghyun's head lands on Jinki's shoulder.

Jinki almost jumps in surprise, but he manages to stay calm, even shifting so that Jonghyun has a better position. He breathes slowly. He's not usually this flustered and embarrassed, but with Jonghyun close to him, his heart races.

Jonghyun is warm.  _ Too  _ warm, Jinki thinks. The heat of his head burns through Jinki's sweater.

"Wake up." Jinki murmurs, lifting Jonghyun's head quickly. "Jonghyunnie, wake up."

Slowly, Jonghyun's eyes open. His gaze is a little hazy, focusing only a little when he meets Jinki's worried eyes.

"You've got a fever. Are you sick?"

"Not sick." Jonghyun mumbles. 

Jinki brushes Jonghyun's hair away from his head and places his palm on Jonghyun's forehead. It's only when his fingers are pressed softly against Jonghyun's skin, which is  _ definitely  _ burning up with a fever, that Jinki realises the position they're in. His heart skips a beat and he lowers his hand quickly.

"You  _ are  _ sick." 

"Don't fuss, hyung." Jonghyun mumbles. The tips of his ears are pink.

Truthfully, Jonghyun had seemed tired all day during the Christmas day concert, quiet and distracted. Jinki had thought he only needed to rest, so he had gladly let Jonghyun stay back while the other members went to have drinks. He'd still worried though, only half having fun, because he kept casting his mind back to tired Jonghyun alone at the flat.

It was a good decision to come back early, he thinks, looking worriedly at his bandmate. 

"I'll be right back." Jinki says firmly. "Stay there, okay?"

"I wasn't really planning on moving." Jonghyun grumbles, and Jinki can't help but smile.

Jinki has done this before. He's made soup for the members, he's boiled tea, he's stroked their hair while they burned up with a fever. But as he wets a towel with cold water, or when he turns on the stove, his heart constricts more than it usually does when his friends are sick.

He thinks of the weary look on Jonghyun's face and bites his lip.

Finally, after a few minutes of fussing around the dorm, Jinki carries a tray into the living room. 

It's a little awkward, sitting beside Jonghyun on the sofa with a tray in his lap. Jinki takes the wet towel between his hands - it drips a little, but he presses it gently to Jonghyun's forehead.

Jinki is tender, moving the towel to Jonghyun's cheeks, down his cheeks, onto the span of his neck. Jonghyun looks up at him, and it's too intimate, being this close on the sofa, in the dark dorm, while the snow falls outside. Jinki can't meet his eyes, just pats the towel at the nape of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm not a baby." Jonghyun whines, and Jinki's mouth quirks into a smile.

He knows  _ that _ . Even when sick, Jonghyun looks effortlessly handsome. It's enough to make Jinki's heart hurt, a little. He removes the towel quickly, his hands trembling slightly.

"Sorry, Jonghyunnie." Jinki says. "But it's your fault for getting sick."

"Don't be mean to me." Jonghyun pouts. "I'm sick."

"I thought you _weren't_ sick?" Jinki grins. "Soup?"

He dips the spoon in the hot soup and raises a spoonful to Jonghyun.

"Just a little." Jinki smiles, mischievously.

"I hate you." Jonghyun mumbles under his breath.

He only realises his mistake when Jonghyun leans forward and wraps his lips around the spoon. Jonghyun is too close, too warm, and he smells sweet and musky. Jinki's heart skips a beat.

Jonghyun looks up, realising their position, and they sit in a tense silence for a moment.

"I think I should feed myself, hyung." Jonghyun murmurs.

Jinki hands over the bowl quickly. He looks down into the steaming tea, his pulse hammering in his ears. It's never been this awkward before, taking care of Minho, Kibum or Taemin. He feels flustered like this.

There's soup by Jonghyun's mouth when Jinki looks up. Instinctively, he leans forward, brushing the stain away with his thumb. 

Bad idea, Jinki thinks, when his thumb is right beside Jonghyun's soft, pretty lips.

"Thanks." Jonghyun smiles at him slightly, in a crooked, embarrassed sort of way. He puts the tray on the floor. "You know, hyung, I don't really want all of- this. Can't we just watch a movie, or something?"

"Sure, yeah, should I get a blanket-"

"Stop fussing, would you?" Jonghyun's voice is gentle, but he raises his eyebrow in a teasing sort of way. 

So Jinki turns on the TV, letting an old cartoon movie play. The lull of the television is comforting. It's the type of noise Jinki could fall asleep to - if Jonghyun wasn't there. Instead, he's aware of Jonghyun blinking sleepily. He's so pretty, with his hair falling over his face, and the television light reflected in his eyes. 

Jinki feels Jonghyun press their knees together, and his heart stumbles.

"I love this movie." Jonghyun says softly, but Jinki doesn't even know what they're watching.

After a few, torturous moments, Jonghyun's head falls onto Jinki's shoulder, just like earlier. Jinki can feel Jonghyun's gentle breaths against his neck. He wonders how he's supposed to survive like this.

He thinks Jonghyun must have fallen asleep again, but then Jonghyun speaks, his voice muffled by Jinki's shoulder.

"Did you come back because you were worried about me, hyung?"

"No." 

"Tell me the truth."

"Yeah." Jinki admits. "I'm sorry if I just made you feel worse. You've just never been good at admitting when you're sick, and I wanted to help somehow."

"Thank you." Jonghyun murmurs, sincere. "Really, hyung. Thank you. Sorry I was weird about it - being sick, I mean."

"Don't thank me." Jinki smiles, tenderly. He wishes he could snuggle closer to Jonghyun's side, but he doesn't want to make Jonghyun uncomfortable. He's never felt so cozy, pressed up against his friend, the snow falling outside.

"No, thank you. Accept it."

"Stop it." Jinki laughs, embarrassed.

Jinki laughs against his neck, too, the breaths warm and sweet against Jinki's neck. His giggles gently fade. 

"Why," Jonghyun's voice cracks a little, but not with laughter, "Why do you take care of me?"

The question takes Jinki by surprise.

"You're my friend." He says, "I love you, silly."

Jonghyun snuggles closer to him. He takes Jinki's hands in his own, clammy ones, still hot from the fever. 

"Do you really?" Jonghyun asks.

"Of course." 

Jonghyun kisses the back of Jinki's hand, and Jinki loses his breath. The awkward tension from earlier has faded into something soft and sweet.

"Take care of yourself, okay, Jonghyunnie?" Jinki smiles. "And if you're sick, let me take care of you."

"Why should I?" Jonghyun asks. Jinki likes when he sounds cheeky and mischievous like that. 

That's the Jonghyun that Jinki loves- silly, and fun, and rebellious. He loves the quieter Jonghyun, too, the one who rests his head on Jinki's shoulder. He loves the Jonghyun who squeezes his hand tightly. He loves the Jonghyun who works late, and the Jonghyun who hides from him, and the Jonghyun with lines under his eyes.

"Because," Jinki says, more serious than usual, looking down at their intertwined fingers. His cheeks are turning pink. "I want to take care of you."

The silence that follows feels promising, somehow. It feels new.

"Why?" 

"Because," Jinki speaks in a softer tone, "I love you."

Jonghyun shifts. He sits up, looking seriously into Jinki's face. He searches Jinki's eyes as if he's looking for something.

"You do?"

"Too much, I think." Jinki smiles.

Jonghyun's face softens. His eyes sparkle.

"Hyung," Jonghyun whispers, "I don't care if you get sick. I need to kiss you."

With warm hands, he clasps Jinki's cheeks, glancing down at Jinki's mouth. He leans in slowly, his breath ghosting over Jinki's lips before he finally kisses him.

Jinki smiles against Jonghyun's mouth. It feels like coming home.

Jonghyun strokes his thumbs across Jinki's cheeks, smiling into the kiss. Jinki pulls him closer, wrapping his arms around Jonghyun's back. There's a warm glow building low in Jinki's stomach.

"Thank you for taking care of me, hyung." Jonghyun breathes, when they pull apart, and Jinki beams at him. "I love you, too."

"Get sick more often, if it means you'll kiss me."

"Oh, I don't need to be sick to kiss you, if you want me to." Jonghyun declares, and climbs into Jinki's lap. There aren't any words, after that.

♡

"We're home!" Kibum calls.

He shuffles out of his snowy boots. His nose is bright red with the cold, and he pulls his sweater sleeves over his freezing fingers. He can feel a hangover headache starting to bloom, and it wouldn't be so bad if his back wasn't aching from lying on the bar floor last night.

"Come look at this!" Taemin yells.

Kibum walks into the living room to an amusing sight.

Jinki and Jonghyun are sleeping on the sofa. Their arms are around each other, their mouths wide open as they sleep. The television is still playing quietly in the background.

"Well, that's embarrassing." Kibum murmurs, but he smiles fondly to himself.

He glances down at the tray on the floor. There's a cold cup of tea and a half full bowl of soup sitting abandoned on the carpet, and he thinks he can take a guess as to what happened last night.

"So that's what they were doing while we were snowed in." Minho grumbles.

"Oh, look at them." Kibum cooes. "You can't be mad."

"But, you know," Taemin says, "Doesn't Jinki hyung look at little sick?"


End file.
